


imperator et mortem

by kazzbrekker (orphan_account)



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-18 01:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21519859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/kazzbrekker
Summary: Do we not reap what we sow?Assassin AU! TSC universe
Relationships: Andrew Blackthorn/Eleanor Blackthorn, Livia Blackthorn & Tiberius Blackthorn & Kit Rook, Mark Blackthorn/Kieran/Cristina Rosales, Tiberius Blackthorn/Kit Rook
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

"He didn't come back. He was killed."

"What? No. No. No. This-this wasn't how it was meant to be. By what? By who?" Kit dropped to the floor, the wind throwing his hood back. His partner in this, the one who had watched his back was gone. The Flame, he had been called, among the cities. The one who would forge punishment, while The Blade - Kit, dolled it out. He had tempered Kit's steel. To Kit, he was just Ash. Kit had thought of that nickname for him, when they were growing up in the city of Unseel. Until it was brought to ruin, by a man known as the Lover. Kit was obsessed with finding his name, and had successfully managed to. His name was Valentine. 

The man looked at the boy, filled with rage and anger and grief- so much grief. What could he do? In this world, you could either kill or be killed. He had hoped the man known as the King would stop this, stop all the bloodshed. And a child had been lost. A child who deserved to live peacefully. He cast his mind back to the night Unseel fell. He remembered an army, descending like pirates upon treasure, he remembered the flames that burned down houses, remembered escaping with the King and his consorts, along with Kit and Ash. 

"That's the thing. It wasn't a normal death. Something destroyed him from the inside." The man lowered his voice, whispering, "Kit, " placing a hand upon Kit's shoulder. "Do you not think I mourn him too? He was a son to me. And I will help you with whatever you need, regarding his death. But first you need to go see the King."

"I will. Gwyn. Wait for me at the bottom of the tower."

Kit looked over the edge of the banister, the wind tousling his blond hair. He still could not believe it, that he had to live in a world without Ash. He clenched his fists. He looked towards the sky, and prayed, to all the gods, that Ash had been granted peace in the afterlife. He took out the dagger he had been given by the King, as a young Faerie child. It was the twin to Ash's own. He sighed, and thought about Ash. What would he do in Kit's situation? Ash would have fought on. He would not have forgotten Kit. Ash would have kept going, kept fighting, for the promise of a better world. He had been ever the optimist. He put his hood back on, and sheathed his dagger. He leapt onto the banister. 

Kit jumped. He let go of his troubles, his worries, shutting his eyes. If he was going to die, it would be thinking of his memories. 

And then, he hit something solid. Almost, as if he was moving? He opened his eyes. Gwyn, with tears in his eyes, upon the steed Orion. Fitting, for Gwyn was known as the Hunter. 

"I have lost one of my sons tonight. I do not wish to lose the other."

###

Kit kneeled, looking down at the floor. 

"Christopher. Rise. You are among family here."

Kit looked up, struggling to hold back the tears. He met the King's eyes, staring into the black one. It had always reminded him of the night, the unpredictability, whilst his silver eye had always reminded Kit of the daggers the Faerie used, made out of some sort of Faerie metal.

Kit let out a deep breath. "Who killed Ash, your Majesty?"

Prince Miach, the King's consort spoke. "We think it may have been one of the Umbra. Either them, or something else. Demon attacks have been on the rise, after all. And apparently they're getting worse. The Werewolves, and Vampires say that the Umbra haven't been around.

Princess Cristina, the King's other consort, started to say. "Kit, we need you to investigate into this. It might have a link to Valentine -" when a Herald of the King rushed into the room, bowing hurriedly. "Your Majesty! One of the Umbra has been spotted close to where Lord Ash was killed."

The King spoke, commanding."Send soldiers to-"

Kit interrupted him. "I'll go. Your Majesty."

His voice brought about a silence in the throne room. Everyone stared at him, conflicted on whether to reproach him for his impudence or admire him for his bravery.

The King smiled gently. "Of course. That would be wise. Christopher. I bestow upon you, the blessing of the Unseelie Court. Let your endeavours be fruitful."

Kit felt refreshed. He looked into the King's eyes, with steely determination. He bowed once more. "I take my leave, sire." He turned to leave

"Wait Kit. Here." Princess Cristina gave him a blade. With a start, Kit realised it was the twin to his own. The one that Ash had held. "Avenge Ash. For yourself, and for the Court."

Kit nodded his head, grimly. He walked out of the tower, and whistled. A gust of wind, and Kit's steed, Altair descended from the clouds. It was horse like, with a sapphire crown adorned upon its head. Kit mounted Altair, and kicked off the ground. He felt the exhilaration of flying, and out of habit, looked to his left, before realising that Ash would never fly with him again, would never laugh and crack jokes, and do tricks. In desperation, he mimicked the whistle Ash used, lower than the one Kit did. A crash of thunder, and Ophiuchus appeared. It must have sensed Ash's departure from the world. Kit placed a hand upon Ophiuchus's mane, and stroked it. Kit, realising its intention, allowed it to lead him to the place where Ash's body was found. 

Ash lay, a fallen angel among the grove of trees. His best friend, his brother, was dead. Kit went to close Ash's eyes, but noticed something that made him start. Ash's eyes were green, like dew in spring. These were black. 

Ash would have had a scar on his neck, from when one of the Umbra had found and captured him, and tortured him for information. Kit had gone looking for him for days. They burned down the Umbra's house when they escaped. 

This wasn't Ash. Then Kit noticed, out of the corner of his eye. Ophiuchus was nuzzling into someone's hand. A figure. 

Kit put his hand upon the dead body, and concentrated upon honing some Faerie magic into his palm. The body burned. Bodies of the Fae were resistant to Faerie magic. Meaning the body wasn't Ash. 

Kit took out his daggers. He strode over to the figure, eyes glittering with fury. He jabbed the points of both daggers under the figure's throat. Under his hood, Kit could see gray eyes, like storm clouds... 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you liked it, leave kudos and/or a comment  
> It makes me super happy to see people enjoy my writing :D  
> message me on tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kitherondaleandminacarstairs

Kit pressed the daggers harder into the figure's neck.

"Who are you. Answer me." The daggers started to glow a luminous white. 

The figure jerked back from the heat. And as they were retreating, their hood slipped off, revealing their true face.

Kit stumbled back. As Kit met his eyes, he gasped. They were an ashen colour, the colour of smoke, of iron. The boy quickly averted his eyes. Kit's eyes glanced down his face, then his neck, and it hit him. Those runes meant the boy was an Umbra. He pointed his daggers at him. An Umbra? This far from the Human Lands?

"Umbra. Why are you here?" Kit's confusion must have showed on his face. 

The boy sighed. "I am Tiberius Nero Blackthorn."

" _You_. I've heard of you. You're famed throughout Faerieland. As the one who killed the Riders. They call you the Emperor. Why are you here. Are you here to kill me?"

"No. Your friend Ash. He said you could be useful. And besides, you are one of the most powerful people in Faerie, according to rumours. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't kill you, Christopher. I need you to come with me."

"What if I don't want to? What if I tell the King?"

Tiberius smiled, his eyes sparkling against the dusk of the forest. His runes started to glow. "The King will, of course, hunt me down, and kill me. I've no doubt about it. But his consorts won't let him." Kit started to speak, but Tiberius interrupted. "You haven't heard of what the Lover did to his own side. He committed crimes. He was a criminal in every regard. I want to bring him down, Christopher. And I require your help. You are someone loyal to the King. And you're someone of great power."

Kit smiled back, mischievously, his Faerie features sharpened by the light of the moon. "How would I fake my death, Tiberius? How did Ash do it?"

"He contacted me. My other name is the Whisper. My power is illusion, I can create a fake body for you. But it will require me to use some of your Faerie magic."

Kit turned towards the direction of the tower. Its spire was visible along the backdrop of the Titanian Mountains. Breathing in, he could sense the magical energy that _thrummed_ through the land. He was inadvertently connected to it, as it was connected to him. To leave all this behind. To leave a life he had always known. For what? For the chance to save the world? Would he be better for it? For risking his life? For the chance to see the world, and all it had to offer? "Fine. Let me leave this place." 

Tiberius smirked. He grabbed Kit's wrist with one hand, and held out his other hand down, over the dirt. Kit could feel Tiberius' runes, his power, like a valve waiting to be opened, and his Faerie magic call in his blood, rising up.

_Like calls to like._

Kit let go of his magic. He felt it, and _saw_ it go through Tiberius who looked down at his hands, his arms, and smiled, as his veins, filled with Shadowhunter blood, glowed with Kit's magic, a brilliant, beautiful blue. As Tiberius concentrated on the illusion, Kit quickly took out the daggers, and placed them on top of the glowing light that was emitting out of Tiberius' hand. Kit felt his wrist drop. 

_A perfect illusion,_ Kit thought.

The daggers were neatly placed upon the illusion's stomach. 

"We should go. It's nearly day. I don't want to be easily spotted. I'll take you to where the others are."

"The others?"

"The Outlaws."


	3. Chapter 3

The grand city of Nysa stretched out before them. It was full of glittering lights, of beauty. But Kit could sense the wild side of the city. Of deals made in the darkness. Of people who weren't what they seemed. Of something lurking beneath the surface.

Tiberius said softly, quietly to Kit. "We'll have to pass through this city if we want to get to the other side. To the rest of the Outlaws. I passed through this city a while ago. There's tension. See, over there?" He pointed at a gate. It dwarfed the other buildings around it. "That gate was set up by the humans. Not Shadowhunters. They noticed children going missing, taken by Faerie." 

Kit shrugged. "Faeries can't breed. If they do, it's quite rare. It's easier to take children. And besides, they gain Faerie powers. I guess it's a win-win situation."

Tiberius looked at him, curiously. His eyes were a pale silver in the sunlight, bright, full of wonder. "Were you taken from the Human Side?"

Kit said quietly. "I don't know. But I've been told I have great power. So I don't think so."

Tiberius looked away. "We need to enter, before the sun goes down. You're too easily recognisable. Here." Tiberius handed Kit his cloak.

Kit felt a blush creep up on his face. He glanced at Tiberius, met those stormy gray eyes. He memorised the lines of his face, of the slow, soft beginnings of age that adorned his skin.

"What is it?" Tiberius asked

Kit looked away quickly. "Nothing." He took the cloak, and put it on. He could sense that the cloak had been owned by Tiberius for a while. It was warm, and soft. 

He flipped the hood up. 

Tiberius was looking at him.

"What?" Kit said.

"It's nothing. It suits you."

"Oh. Thanks, I guess."

###

"State your name. Occupation. Reason for crossing the border." the guard droned, not looking up from his clipboard.

Tiberius dragged Kit in front of him. 

Kit's eyes widened, but he kept. Was Tiberius lying to him, all this time? Was he just trying to arrest him?

"Tiberius Nero Blackthorn. Assassin. Trial for a Faerie criminal."

The guard gasped. He met Tiberius' eyes. 

"Yes sir. Pass right through."

Tiberius leaned in. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell High Command I was here today."

"Yes sir. Of course sir."

Kit said softly, so only Tiberius could hear. "What was that all about, Tiberius? What are you doing?"

"Wait. Until we get out of the guards' line of sight."

###

"So. What was that about?" Kit said, as Tiberius looked, to see if they were being followed. 

"I had to get you past the guards somehow."

Then, a faint glowing emanated from the cloak's pocket. Kit slowly reached into it, and brought out a slab of stone. 

Tiberius looked alarmed. 

"What is it? Why is it glowing?"

Panic adorned Tiberius' face. "It's a witchlight. It allows us to communicate. The Outlaws. It's glowing red. That means something's happened to the Outlaws." Tiberius took the witchlight from Kit. "We need to hurry up. The Lover might have found out where we are. And what the Outlaws are plotting."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you liked it, leave kudos and/or a comment  
> It makes me super happy to see people enjoy my writing :D  
> message me on tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kitherondaleandminacarstairs


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